The Complete Guide To: Transylvania

There’s much more to Dracula’s homeland than creepy castles and blood-soaked myths. Lucy Mallows uncovers a region so charming that even Prince Charles has a house there.

Some people assume Transylvania is an invention of Bram Stoker, ripened by bloodthirsty Hollywood directors. However the “land beyond the forest” – as the Latin name translates – is genuine enough. This region, three times the size of Wales, is located right in the heart of one of the EU’s newest members. While the Romans called it Trans-Sylvania, the name is Ardeal in Romanian, Erdely in Hungarian and Siebenburgen in German. The latter translates as “seven fortress towns”, and hints at the significance of Saxons shipped in during the 12th century from Flanders and the Moselle Valley to defend the sparsely populated region from repeated invasions.